Lions and Tigers and Bears…and Google+! Oh My!

Did that bring back childhood memories of  hearing Dorothy say that line in the Wizard of Oz, without the “Google+“, of course?

Yes, you read that correctly, “Google+”. I’m sure you are aware that Google+ was all the rage back in the Summer of 2011. You had to receive an invitation to join “the latest and greatest” social media network. Then, later in 2011 it became available to everyone.

So, are you on Google+?

If you’re like most people, you’ve either tried it and decided it wasn’t for you or you couldn’t find your customers or clients on Google+.

The differentiating factors of G+ are actually quite good…you can say, Google+ perfected the imperfections of Facebook.

First, you have circles. Think of a circle as a group. You select the people to put into that circle and only they will see what you post to that circle. I’ve identified the “circle” icon on my toolbar below.

• This is how you can put people into different “groups”. You can have a group for your local area and you can have one with people you are following. You can also create a “client” circle or perhaps a “colleagues” circle. The possibilities are endless.

• However, you are limited to 5,000 people you can add to circles.

So, how do you add people?

Once you click on the “circles” icon on your toolbar, simply drag people into your circles. Here’s what some of my circles look like:

Second, you can limit your posts to be seen only by some of your circles. Yes, I know you can do this in Facebook; however, it is much cleaner and you can send a post to be seen by multiple groups, too, which is an enhancement over Facebook.

The other differentiating point is the use of hangouts in Google+. Think of them as virtual meetings or gatherings. All you need is a webcam and the plug-in installed on your system. How would you use hangouts?

• You can meet someone for coffee or wine virtually and work on your relationship or discuss a project or potential collaboration.

• If you’re a musician, you can host a session with your circle and play one of your pieces.

• If you’re working with others in different locations, invite them to hangout and meet virtually on the project.

• Or create a “Book Club” circle and you can have people in different cities. Then meet in a hangout to discuss the book.

• Of course, if you’re bored or have nothing to do, invite a circle to hangout to chat.

So why would Google+ be important to you if you’re already on Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn?

I asked a friend of mine, Alison Lindemann who leads the WSI eSolutions team in Northern Los Angeles County, that very same question. Here’s what she said:

• Google+ is still in Beta form. It could change, but really, it probably won’t go away. It’s Google!

• The giant search engine Google created Google+. Google will include Google+ posts in a search that you do; however, you need to be logged in to Googlel for Google+ posts to appear high on your search.

• For your business,  pick the social media niches that make sense for what you do and who your customers are and what social media they use.

In essence, you need to decide if Google+ is for you. My suggestion is if you think it’s the right social media niche, check it out, but recognize it might take you longer to develop the relationships and engagement you might already be experiencing on other social media networks.

So, one last question: Are you on Google+ and what’s been your experience?